Pop-Up Story Shop | glimmertheatre

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GLIMMER THEATRE

POP-UP

STORY

SHOP

In the winter of 2020, Glimmer transformed a former temp agency office into a magical Pop-Up Story Shop. The aim of the shop was simple: we wanted to bring some theatrical magic to a beleaguered high street, by bringing to life stories and experiences shared with us over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. The centrepiece of our shop windows was ‘The Quarantine Quilt’, a beautiful red and white patchwork created by people across East Anglia, each patch describing an individual’s experience of the first national lockdown. We also received stories through our shop letterbox and online, from which we created displays and performances in our shopfront theatre.

Over nearly three months, people passing by on the street outside were able to look through our windows, performers and audience safely separated by glass, and see eclectic spectacles including live music and dance, rehearsals in progress for a new play, beautiful shadow puppetry, a 2 minute pantomime and lots more.

We hope that the shop gave the thousands of people who walked by the opportunity to escape into a fantastical world, even if just for a few moments, in the midst of these dark and difficult times.

Credits

Producers: Andrew Brock and Sophie Crawford

Directors: Tamara Astor and Andrew Brock

Performers: Tamara Astor, Rosalind Lailey and Deli Segal

Design: Andrew Brock

Videographer and Editor: Rhys Votano

The project was supported with funding from Arts Council England. With extra special thanks to St Andrew’s St Baptist Church for their support.

The galleries below offer a glimpse of a few of the window performances we created. Each title was taken from a story or experience submitted by a member of the public. We hope it will serve as a visual and aural archive of these extraordinary times.

We were heartbroken that the pandemic had forced most regional theatres to cancel their pantomimes - shows which not only offer many familes their only trip to a live performance but also provide a much needed finanical boost to the theatre industry to see it through the rest of the year. So we decided to perform our own panto...behind glass!

Panto...Behind Glass!

"I am lucky to live in a small village on the edge of a busy city, surrounded by fields and a large lake, which I have walked around every day. On the lake are many ducks, two beautiful swans and seven cygnets. It is surrounded by trees and wild flowers. I have watched them grow and mature over the weeks. Everyday is different, I am very lucky."

-Christine

Swans and Wildflowers

"I chose to stitch "Garden Therapy" as I am so thankful for my garden and it has helped keep me sane during lockdown!"

-Claire

"There is a little plant growing in our front garden this year. I’ve never noticed it before, so it must have seeded itself and bloomed during lockdown. Life goes on!"

- Richard

Gardening Therapy

I had never tried wild swimming until this year. I love the feeling of freedom and adrenaline, the peace and the calm. With the sky above and water below it feels like a powerful renewal. It has brought me a lot of joy in lockdown when I often felt powerless

- Sophie

Swimming Saved Me!

A sewing machine - this has been my life saver. I have been a quilter for may years and when I was told I had to be quarantined for 12 weeks, due to my age and that I had cancer, I have been sewing quilts for friends and for the premature babies at Addenbrooke’s.

-Mary

Sewing Quilts

My patch represents the emotional ups and downs of the lockdown, one line for each day of the week.

-Maria

Ups and Downs

Escaping through dance

The World's first Live Action Zoom Meeting!

The Joy of Reading

"I decided to draw myself reading as that is how I have spent most of my time in lockdown and I wanted to do something positive. I’ve been very grateful for the opportunity to relax and be quiet without the stresses of university, and to spend so much time at home with my family, so I thought participating in this would be a good way for me to remember the positives about lockdown."

- Zoë